The challenges for business leadership in Argentina
The future of Argentina, like that of any nation wishing to progress, requires its ruling classes constantly strengthen its institutions. The path taken by these institutions to address the future requires constant and unwavering commitment in terms of representing common and varied interests, debating the diversity of opinions, with the key objective being to achieve a consensus that makes it possible to qualitatively reach the proposed goals.
From the diversity of the representation we contain comes one of our most important strengths when seeking consensus: the UIA has partners from traditional industries, including metalworking, food, textiles, chemicals and plastics, but also from cultural industries like cinema and even those from cutting-edge sectors such as software, biotechnology and electronics. This forces us each day to strengthen links with our partners so we can remain up-to-date on each of their specific requirements.
Leaders and the importance of social dialogue
Ongoing social dialogue between employees, business owners and governments is an essential tool if we are to guide policies that simultaneously promote investment and high-quality employment, two essential areas for achieving social progress.
To travel along this path unhindered, the dialogue needs to take place in a framework that facilitates the consensus intrinsic to integrating any vision of the future. The strategy must be launched away from unsurmountable dilemmas that, in all their variants, result in the biggest restrictions on development. Establishing roundtables involving the different players is the first essential step in ensuring the national and regional strategies are in line with governmental agendas.
Ongoing social dialogue between employees, business owners and governments is an essential tool if we are to guide policies that simultaneously promote investment and high-quality employment
It is crucial for all these initiatives to be structured around specific goals, priorities and instruments for intervention to ensure permanence and stability for adopted strategies, promoting participation of these players in the formulation process and allowing the public to assess their efficacy.
The State, as a catalyst for the efforts of each player in society, must position itself in a framework of effective and intelligent action that allows it to utilize its strong capacity for coordinating policies linked to institutionalism, education, equal opportunity, production and employment, among others.
International experience is unquestionably important here. Those countries that progress over time have public policies that advance social dialogue in a way strongly aligned with comprehensive production policies. There is a reason the most developed countries in the world call themselves “industrialized nations.”
The contribution of industry
Industrial production in Argentina began at the end of the 19th century, and the first forefather of the UIA dates to 1875. For more than 200 years of Argentine history, industry was a key factor in boosting growth. However, an inability to implement long-term policies to overcome the challenges faced by factory production was an obstacle to achieving development. Industrialization offers the coordinates to set the country on the course to social progress. Investment in production creates more and better companies, which generates more and better employment. Traveling along this path of industrialization requires responsibility, which must be accepted by all those involved in the social dialogue and which must be adopted with a vision of the future.
At the UIA, we are always working in line with various players to promote production and employment, as well as encourage innovation in diverse sectors such as agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, automotive, auto parts, biotechnology and textiles, among others. At the Argentine Industrial Union, we have specialists in different areas who work with the chambers of commerce and national and provincial governments to analyze different problems and design strategies to overcome these challenges.
The transition to solid social justice has its genesis in strong and vigorous entrepreneurship, with the capacity for innovation and international positioning
Industry was the engine of the economic growth experienced by the country at the start of this new century. We must return to this path of growth because factory production leads to high-quality employment, with high salaries and exporting capabilities. The transition to solid social justice has its genesis in strong and vigorous entrepreneurship, with the capacity for innovation and international positioning, capable of revitalizing society as a whole. Extensive international experience supports this statement and leaves no room for doubt: there are no examples in the world of prosperous societies without developed industries.
As industrial leaders, our commitment becomes stronger each day. We work through each of our initiatives, interacting with similar organizations; trade union representatives; national, provincial and municipal governments; and with all international organizations that share the same objective: achieving social progress through developing production, investment and high-quality employment.
